- (v.i.) To gain or have a firm footing; to become recognized or established; to become or be prevalent or general; as, the custom obtains of going to the seashore in summer.
- (v.t.) To hold; to keep; to possess.
- (v.t.) To get hold of by effort; to gain possession of; to procure; to acquire, in any way.
- (v.i.) To prevail; to succeed.
- (v.i.) To become held; to gain or have a firm footing; to be recognized or established; to subsist; to become prevalent or general; to prevail; as, the custom obtains of going to the seashore in summer.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). obtain. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/obtain/definitions/2038105 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "obtain" http://smartdefine.org/obtain/definitions/2038105 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, obtain, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/obtain/definitions/2038105>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "obtain" 27 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/obtain/definitions/2038105> |